SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13890, 30 April 1907, Page 3

SIR JOSEPH WARD.

ARRIVAL IN LONDON.

SOME FUTURE FIXTURES.

(From Odii Own Coriiesitodext.)

LONDON, March 22. Sir Joseph Ward, with Lady Ward and their daughter, arrived in London on Tuesday evening by tho boat train at Charing Cress, having crossed from Calais to Dover during the afternoon. They were met at 1 Dover by Mr .f. A. Mason, private secretary lo tho Now Zealand High Commissioner, who travelled up to London with them. As I mentioned last week, the party had been spending a few days ill Paris, having left tho 6.6. Mongolia at Marseilles. Assembled on tho platform at Charing Cross to meet the travellers were, among others, the following:—Tho High Commissioner for New Zealand, Mrs W. P. Reeves, and Miss Reeves, Mr Gilruth, and Mr Moss Davis. In a brief conversation I had with tho New Zealand I'rime Minister immediately upon his arrival, ho told mo that all had had a very- pleasant passage from New Zealand, and had thoroughly enjoyed a few days in Paris, while they were none tho worse for their crossing of the Channel to Dover, though tho weather encountered there had been singularly stormy. Sir Joseph and his party at once drove to the Cecil Hotel, which will bo their headquarters during the visit to London. On arrival there ho found scores of invitations awaiting him to functions of all kinds, including one to open tho Liverpool Exhibition on some day before Ea6ter. Jt is improbable that Sir Joseph will take part in any function of first-rato importance until after the Easter holidays. The morning after his arrival lie was besieged by photographers and interviewers. The following aro some of the principal functions which have beon arranged in honour of the".visiting Premiers:—April 13, banquet given by members of tho Jiigbt.y Club, at the Hotel Cecil; April 16, Freedom of the City of London will be presented lo the Premiers by the Lord Mayor, and they will be entertained at a banquet at the Guildhall; April 18, banquet by the 1900 Club, at tho Albert Hall, when Mr IJalfour will preside (ladies will be invited); April 9, banquet given by the Pilgrims Club at tho Savoy, Lord Roberts to be in tho chair; April 24, luncheon in Westminster Hall by the members of the Houses of Lords and Commons (Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman will preside, and ladies will be invited); May 2, banquet by members of the British Empire League. Other banquets are being arranged, but tho dates are not definitely known. The Colonial Ofiice reception will take place at the Foreign Ofiice, the date to be mado known shortly. On May 3 there is to bo a naval review at Portsmouth, when the visitors will be Ghown over the Dreadnought, also over tho vast dockyard. The Premiers aro to bo entertained by tho King .ind Queen, [ as well as by tho Prince and Princess of Wales. Arrangements are being made for a tour of tho provinces, which will include municipal welcomes at Bristol, 'Liverpool, Edinburgh, and other important centres. The Earl and Countess of Bcauchamp will act as the official host and hostess of the Liberal party, and on the 15th April tho visitors arc to be their guests. Two days later they will be entertained at Marlborough House by fho Prince and Princess of Wales. The ballroom at Stafford House will be the scene of an evening Ijartv given bv the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland. Lord and Lady Derby ■will entertain the colonists at Derby House, St. James's Square—a residence seldom opened for any but royal entertainments. Others who are arranging for the entertainment of tho visitors are:—Lady Lansdownc, Lady Wiinborne, Lady Crewe, Lady Portsmouth, Lady Haversham, Lord Strathcona, who will entertain the visitors for a week-end at ICncbworth, and other week-end parties aro under consideration at Mentmore, CanNuneham, and othor country houses). But. it would bo impossible even to mention a list of the fixtures which have been made.

"Sir Joseph Ward." says a London evening paper, "who has arrived in London to represent New' Zealand at the Colonial Conference, did not neglect his colony's interests on the P. and O. liner vr journeyed from Wellington to Marseilles. Not only was ho president of the Sports Committer on lioard, but ho captained the New Zealand team which defeated the rest of the ship's passengers II cr ' c ' ®> r Joseph made an invaluable organiser of tournaments and dances on and ho was ably seconded in Carrying out the social pro{rramme bv Lady Ward and Miss Ward At Port Said -tho Prime Minister landed and conducted a select party of passengers ever the local school, whore the little Arab scholars gave recitations in English and received prizes _ for their proficioncy. Sir Joseph Ward, like his predecessor, Mr Scddon, is a famous speaker." In the course of an interview yesterday Sir Joseph Ward gave a denial- to tho statement attributed to him in an, interview at. Melbourne last month, that ho had received privato letters from Sir Wilfrid Laflrier in which the Dominion Premier expressed himself as favourable to the proposal of an Imperial Council. In order to dispel the misapprehension to which this particular passage in ibo Melbourne interview had givei rise. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, 11 Wl " be remembered, took occasion to announce in tlio Dominion House of Commons a few days ago that, there was no foundation for the statement attributed to bir Joseph Word in regard to his (Sir W'lfnds) views.

A' Melbourne, remarked Sir Joseph Ward, I was only expressing an opinion vfn i r P ros Pcc(s of an Imperial Council. What I stated was that I thought the prospects of establishing an Imperial or Advisory Council were fairly good. Tho reasons I gave for holding .that view were that I understood that Mr Dcakin, the 1 rcmier of the Australian Commonwealth, was favourably disposed toward something ot Uio kind. aiKi (hat from private letters wliicn 1 had received I understood that J;?.',?, f'l 1 ? vas favourable, and that Sir "'["id Laurier was likely to support it, and I expressed a hope tliat such was the case. 1 did not, and indeed could not. make anv committal statement on behalf of Sir Wilfrid Laurier, of whoso personal views upon the matter I am ignorant, wither do I know what attitude Canada will take toward the proposal, any more than I know definitely what will be tho attitude of Australia in regard to the su"geslion of a council. "

At for Now Zealand," continued Sir Joseph, I was-able to si»- that our own colony is favourable to the establishment hero of an Imperial Council as beimr a soo; thinif for tlio Empire sencrallv. While we advocate the. setting up of such a body, we think the, details should be left for the discussion of the members of flic Colonial Conference when it assembles, ior <ho past 17 years or -so, in the course of my public speeches ~in New Zealand, I have been advocating the constitution of an Imperial Council. , From end to end of New Zealand nublic opinion is at the present time distinctly in favour of the eiettion of an Imperial or Advisory Conn cil though its details remain, of course, for future determination. In one of my speeches I expressed the sentiment that if at Hie coming conference we could only establish a base upon which the structure of an Imperial Council could subscquentlv be wo should have done a coot! wcrk. While, however. I slronglv udvocalo tho creation of such a body, I naturally want to hear what are the views of the other members of tho conference, and for that reason I do not wish to discuss ihe details, which must, of course, he dpiiendent upon what may be the individual views of the Prime Ministers of tile oilier self-eoverning colonies." Sir .Tosenh Ward is tc king- things prettv quietly this week, hut to-dav ho "has had an interview at the Colonial Office with Ebon.

On Tuesday next a chess contest is to take place between members of the House of Commons and representatives of the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Sir J. CI. Word has. been invitixl to be present, also to attend Hie dinner which will bo held later in the lords' dioimr room. Tt is stated that tho New Zealand Prime Minister will bo the on!j outsider present on the occasion. Most of the daily napevs have eontained leadinij articles 6n Sir Joseph Ward and his mission, but thev oontain uothincr now or worth quoting " Interview's " with tho New Zealand Prime Minister have also been numerous.